March is Nutrition Month: Take the Fight Out of Food

Are you constantly confused about what to eat because of all the information out there or simply having a hard time keeping up with the newest food trend? Each year, Dietitians of Canada leads a campaign in March called Nutrition Month. This year, celebrate with dietitians to Take the Fight Out of Food! Spot the problem. Get the facts. Seek support.

The goals of Nutrition Month are to provide nutrition information you can trust, help debunk fad diets and identify nutrition myths. With the support from dietitians, enjoying food, eating healthily and working on problems with food will be easier.

By participating in Nutrition Month, individuals will develop skills to make healthful food choices that are more sustainable and to become more confident in problem-solving food issues. Each week of March focuses on a different topic such as fad diets, digestive problems, picky eating, eating and stress, and managing a health condition.

Visit the website www.nutritionmonth2017.ca to find resources, recipes and phone apps featured along with each topic to make it easier to participate.

Why not get started now with one of the featured recipes for Nutrition Month.

Avocado, Roasted Squash and Black Bean Tacos

Makes 4 servings. Recipe by Avocados from Mexico

1

Butternut squash (approx. 1.3kg/ 2.9lb)

1

2 tbsp

Olive oil

30 mL

¼ tsp

Salt

1 mL

¼ tsp

Fresh ground pepper

1 mL

2 tsp

Sumac (or paprika)

10 mL

½ tbsp

Olive oil

7 mL

1

Garlic clove, finely minced

1

1

Can (540 mL) black beans, rinsed & drained

1

1 tsp

Ground cumin

5 mL

½ tsp

Chili powder

2 mL

½ tsp

Salt

2 mL

8-10

Corn tortillas

8-10

1

Avocado from Mexico, diced

1

½ cup

Feta cheese, crumbled

125 mL

Fresh cilantro, hot sauce and lime quarters, to serve

Recipe tip: For seasonal ingredients, such as butternut squash, be creative and substitute it with other starchy vegetables like yams, which are available all year round.

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Peel the squash and cut it in two. Remove the seeds and stringy fibres, and dice the squash.

Step 2

Arrange the squash pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper, and sprinkle with sumac or paprika. Roast for 25 minutes.

Step 3

In a small saucepan, sauté ½ tbsp olive oil and the minced garlic over low to medium heat. Add the black beans, ground cumin, chili powder, salt and ¼ cup of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes or until the beans are well heated and soft (but not dry).

Step 4

In a hot pan, heat the tortillas for a few minutes, or microwave them for 20 seconds. Cover with a clean cloth to prevent them from drying out.

Step 5

Top the tortillas with roasted squash, black beans, avocado and feta. Serve with fresh cilantro, hot sauce and lime quarters.

Visit the website www.nutritionmonth2017.ca for more nutrition resources, recipes and tools to help celebrate Nutrition Month!

Angelina Lam is a University of BC dietetic intern. Helen Yeung and Kathy Romses are public health dietitians with Vancouver Coastal Health.